Clean-Slate. How does a new GM fix this team?

Pretty much every post I've made regarding *this* team this year has been out of anger - - - blasting Joe-D for mistakes he made this off-season and previously. Well, I think it's pretty safe to assume that we're going to have a new general manager/front-office and head-coach/staff heading into this off-season. So, let's let go of the past. Clean slate. Fresh start. Forward, pragmatic, thinking. How do we fix this team?

What do we have (and let's keep the discussion to starters, for now)?

#1) Andre Drummond. He's 20 years old. He has the potential to be the best defensive big man in the league. He has the potential to be, at least, one of the better offensive big men in the game. He has the potential to be the best rebounding big men in the game. He's one of the most athletic big men in the league. He's a great intangibles guy. He's our franchise player. Our building block. Our cornerstone. And we need to invest in him. We need to build our team around him and his talents. And, I think, we need to bring in a really great big man coach to teach him the finer points.. to really refine his offensive post-game. I love 'Sheed. And I'm not sure he isn't the right man for that role. But I'm also not sure that he is the right man for that role.

#2) Josh Smith. He's 28, in his prime, as opposed to approaching or past it. He's one of the most athletic 4's in the league. He's one of the best defensive 4's (or anti-LeBron 3's) in the league, when he wants to be. He's super talented offensively, and while not a great three-point shooter, definitely a guy who's talented enough to spread things out on that end. All kidding aside, he really does fit in perfectly with Andre. He just needs to be motivated, by a great head coach he respects.

#3) Greg Monroe. He doesn't fit in with this team, with Andre. Still though, IMO, he's a top-10 center in the league. He's young. He's a great intangibles guy. And I think he's worth a lottery pick, or another player of comparable value.

What do we need? (again, limiting the discussion to starters for now):

Basically.. we need a starting PG, a starting SG and a starting SF. Team/basketball city like Detroit, all three of these guys need to be plus-level defenders of their positions, plus-level high-effort guys, plus-level intangibles guys. For spacing purposes, you'd hope that all three are a threat from 3-pt land. For running with Dre and JSmith purposes (and also defensively), you'd hope that all-three can run the court well and pass - - especially our point guard. You'd hope that at least one of them is an All-Star-level scorer, and that at least one of the other two is an above-average NBA scorer. IF we can keep that top-8 pick this year, I think we can address 1/3 issues via the '14 draft. I think we can trade Monroe for a pick or a player to address the 2nd/3 issues. And we're going to have enough cap-space to sign a max-level player (since we're not resigning Monroe) to address the 3rd/3 issues.

I like Smith but he causes problems for the Pistons defensively because of his size. He can't guard 4's that well, but he totally can't guard 5's which means he can't switch especially in transition D where he often is the only big back because the others are crashing the glass.

Man we need to stop with the lets build for the future stuff. Teams just say that when they are stinking it up.

Andre Drummond is likely the premier rebounder in the league, right now. He is half a second of indecision away from being the premier weakside help defender in the league. He scores absurdly efficiently, even with a terrible FT percentage. Lets not talk about his future. Right now, he makes teams better.

Josh Smith is one of the most athletically gifted players in the league. He is insanely fast and strong, but suffers from bad coaching and trying to do everything himself.

Those two represent what could be the best rebounding/defender front court in the league. But they are poorly coached.

Jennings is fine, KCP is fine. Stuckey has been great off the bench. Harrelson has looked great in limited minutes. What we actually need is a backup point guard who just launch jumpers every position and who cant actually guard a tortoise, and a starting SF. Oh, and a guy who can actually coach.

This team is a SF and a defensive system away from being top 6 in the east. We don't have a pick so forget that. Trade Monroe for Wilson Chandler and we would be in the playoffs.

Josh Smith will never get it. Jennings isn't fine. KCP can't even get minutes on this team. Stuckey sucks per definition. Harrellson is a 10th man at best. Wilson Chandler won't make a difference. That's why we talk about future stuff.

Is Jennings the biggest culprit in the Pistons poor defense? I kind of feel like he is. This is the position they need to address first followed by the wings.

I think we also need to lay to rest the notion that Smith is a good or great defender. He matches up well with roughly 1-2% of front court players in the L. Blocking some shots and getting some steals does not a defender make.

I don't put him on a level with Jennings for the teams poor D, but I think that given his inability to switch onto bigger players we'll always be stuck having to outscore the other team.

The team needs to be built around Drummond and Smith; as much as I like Monroe (and I keep saying this), his value is higher as trade bait than it is side-by-side with Drummond. Right now, teams with stretch-4's (Minnesota with Love is the most recent example) kill them because they have Monroe and/or Drummond playing out of position on defense, and that's going to keep happening as long as they throw Monroe at perimeter players. Additionally, for a number of reasons, Monroe's going to be far easier to trade than Smith is, so whoever the new GM is will have to make getting the highest return for him possible priority #1.

Secondly, the team needs much better guard play. Stuckey has a role as a sixth-man, but he's gone after this year. Bynum and Jennings are terrible defenders and high-variability offensive players, Pope hasn't shown much ability to shoot the ball consistently (though I think he has upside in this arena), and Singler is more of an energy and hustle guy off the bench than he is a starter (though he's been a very solid one when put in this role).

Thirdly, finding the right coach for the talent has to be a big concern. Detroit now has a reputation as having a centrifuge for coaching carousel, so assuaging a future [good] coach that they're going to be given the opportunity to grow the team will be important to them getting a good one. As much as I didn't like Cheeks, firing him after 50 games does not make Gores look like they type of boss that in-demand coaches will want to work for. Changing this reputation is vital.

Now, I think we can all agree that the team isn't years removed from being a contender. If they get a coach that can clamp down on Jennings' and Smith's iso tendencies, they can have a guy in Smith that can be a very good distributor and post player and a guy in Jennings that has shown that he can protect the ball and dish out assists. Having a weapon on the offensive glass like Drummond can help mitigate some of the team's poor shooting, but when you have two guys responsible for 40% of the team's missed shots but only a third of its points, you need to fix your system and redirect that offensive energy to players that better know what to do with it.

Additionally, they should be able to flip Monroe for a decent return and get pieces that fit better. When you remove any of the big-3 (that's a reference to height, btw) from the lineup, it's much more functional, even with the spare parts that are currently coming in to replace them. With as in-demand as young guys like Monroe are, there's no way that a competent GM shouldn't be able to find a top-tier 3 and D player plus a pick in return. Someone like Bradley Beal, Wesley Matthews, or Klay Thompson (and a pick) should be available if a shrewd GM is willing to work for it.

Unfortunately, losing a pick this year could hurt a lot; otherwise, this would be a really attractive landing spot for a GM.

The team needs to be built around Drummond and Smith; as much as I like Monroe (and I keep saying this), his value is higher as trade bait than it is side-by-side with Drummond. Right now, teams with stretch-4's (Minnesota with Love is the most recent example) kill them because they have Monroe and/or Drummond playing out of position on defense, and that's going to keep happening as long as they throw Monroe at perimeter players. Additionally, for a number of reasons, Monroe's going to be far easier to trade than Smith is, so whoever the new GM is will have to make getting the highest return for him possible priority #1.

Secondly, the team needs much better guard play. Stuckey has a role as a sixth-man, but he's gone after this year. Bynum and Jennings are terrible defenders and high-variability offensive players, Pope hasn't shown much ability to shoot the ball consistently (though I think he has upside in this arena), and Singler is more of an energy and hustle guy off the bench than he is a starter (though he's been a very solid one when put in this role).

Thirdly, finding the right coach for the talent has to be a big concern. Detroit now has a reputation as having a centrifuge for coaching carousel, so assuaging a future [good] coach that they're going to be given the opportunity to grow the team will be important to them getting a good one. As much as I didn't like Cheeks, firing him after 50 games does not make Gores look like they type of boss that in-demand coaches will want to work for. Changing this reputation is vital.

Now, I think we can all agree that the team isn't years removed from being a contender. If they get a coach that can clamp down on Jennings' and Smith's iso tendencies, they can have a guy in Smith that can be a very good distributor and post player and a guy in Jennings that has shown that he can protect the ball and dish out assists. Having a weapon on the offensive glass like Drummond can help mitigate some of the team's poor shooting, but when you have two guys responsible for 40% of the team's missed shots but only a third of its points, you need to fix your system and redirect that offensive energy to players that better know what to do with it.

Additionally, they should be able to flip Monroe for a decent return and get pieces that fit better. When you remove any of the big-3 (that's a reference to height, btw) from the lineup, it's much more functional, even with the spare parts that are currently coming in to replace them. With as in-demand as young guys like Monroe are, there's no way that a competent GM shouldn't be able to find a top-tier 3 and D player plus a pick in return. Someone like Bradley Beal, Wesley Matthews, or Klay Thompson (and a pick) should be available if a shrewd GM is willing to work for it.

Unfortunately, losing a pick this year could hurt a lot; otherwise, this would be a really attractive landing spot for a GM.

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Why not to trade Monroe:

1. He is a darn good post up player. The only one we happen to have right now. Darn good post up players are not easy to come by.

2. We are short bigs. So, if we trade Monroe, we have to trade him for a big. Most likely someone who we will quickly hate on for shooting from the outside too much. Basically, we will hate on the guy for not being Monroe.

3. Our front line routinely averages a double double. They are not the problem. You want more offense? Do not play a weak player like Singler in your rotation, and never let Bynum play on your team. Both of these things should help tons. And sorry JJ, you a tweener, so we really do not have room on this roster either. You want more defense, do not play Singler, Bynum, JJ, Datome, or CV, and really, they should not be on the roster.

4. Getting another big should be our priority, to add to our current front line. And there is no reason this guy can not come in early if needed to guard better on the perimeter vs. Monroe. But before we go out and get someone, should we not try Mitchell to see how he is can do?

5. Get a new GM. Someone interested in improving the team. Dumars absolutely should not be trusted at this point, not in the least. Until he is replaced, forget any moves.

Hunh? The whole point of trading Monroe is that we don't have PT For him and the other 2 mainline bigs.

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You got to have 4 quality bigs. Less than that, foul trouble continually plagues you. Right now, we bring in guys like Singler and JJ to backup our front line, neither of whom is much of a player. Losing Monroe, and not getting a big for him? Smith would have to move to power forward. But we have no small forward. So, you think maybe you should get a small forward for Monroe? Then who backs up Smith and Drummond when they need a break. Bit of a problem, don't you think.